The audit trail

It's important that you record transactions accurately in your accounts, and the audit trail is a useful place to look when you need to check transaction details or resolve transaction queries. It is a complete list of your transactions and is often requested by auditors during their investigations.

You can view your audit trail within Company > Financials. Each line of the audit trail represents one transaction. There are also several audit trail reports that you can run to show your transactions in various levels of detail.

The Financials window

The Financials window shows the following transaction information:

Tip: If you can't see the column you're interested in, right-click any column heading and choose the column you want to display.

The transaction's unique number. Your software applies numbers sequentially for you.

As transactions are cleared from the audit trail the numbering is not adjusted, so a transaction always keeps its original number.

You can use these audit trail numbers to report on a particular ranges of transactions.

Type

This is a code that indicates a transaction's type:

BR = Bank Receipt	SA = Sales Receipt on Account
BP = Bank Payment	SP = Sales Payment
CP = Cash Payment	PI = Purchase Invoice
CR = Cash Receipt	PP = Purchase Payment
JD = Journal Debit	PR = Purchase Receipt
JC = Journal Credit	PC = Purchase Credit Note
SI = Sales Invoice	PD = Discount on Purchase Payment
SR = Sales Receipt	PA = Purchase Payment on Account
SC = Sales Credit Note	VP = Credit Card Payment
SD = Discount on Sales Receipt	VR = Credit Card Receipt

Account

The customer, supplier or bank account used during transaction entry. Journal transactions leave this column blank.

Nominal

The nominal account code the transaction is posted to.

Dept

The department number the transaction is posted to.

Fund

Charity only

The fund the transaction is posted to.

Gift Aid

Charity only

Indicates whether the transaction is a Gift Aid transaction.

Y = Yes
N = No

S. Donation

Charity only

Indicates whether the transaction is a small donation under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme.

Y = Yes
N = No

GASDS Submitted

Charity only

Indicates whether the transaction has been included on the Un-submitted Gift Aid and Tax Repayment Claims Report.

Y = Yes
N = No

Transactions flagged as Y don't appear on the report again.

Details

Any details entered for the transaction appear, otherwise this is blank.

Date

The date of the transaction.

Ref

Any reference entered for the transaction appear, otherwise this is blank.

Ex.Ref

Any extra reference entered for the transaction appear, otherwise this is blank.

Net

The net amount of the transaction - VAT not included.

Tax

The VAT portion of the transaction.

T/C

The tax code applied to the transaction.

Paid

Indicates whether or not a transaction is fully paid.

Y = Yes
N = No

Amount Paid

Indicates any value paid against the transaction, whether fully paid or part paid.

Bank

Indicates if the transaction has been bank reconciled.

Y = Yes
N = No
- = Not applicable

This is relevant to bank transactions such as bank payments and receipts.

Bank Rec Date

The date the transaction was reconciled.

VAT

Indicates whether the transaction has been VAT reconciled, which means it has been included in a VAT Return.

Y = Yes
N = No
- = Not applicable

VAT Rtn No.

Indicates which VAT Return the transaction was included in.

VAT Rec Date

The date the transaction was VAT reconciled.

User Name

The user name of the person who entered the transaction.

Sage Pay Ref.

If you are using Sage Pay and if the transaction relates to a card payment, this is the Sage Pay reference.

Deposited

If you have set up a bank account for recording cash till takings, when you deposit the cash at the bank you should transfer this amount from the Cash Register account to a chosen bank account.

The amount deposited at the bank appears in this column.

Deposit Date

If you have set up a bank account for recording cash till takings, when you deposit the cash at the bank you should transfer this amount from the Cash Register account to a chosen bank account.

The date of the cash deposit at the bank appears in this column.

Late Entry Date

If you are using the Lock Date option and you post a transaction dated prior to the lock date, this column shows the lock date at the time of posting.

Tip: The more transactions there are, the longer it takes your software to sort through the list and calculate report values. You can periodically remove transactions from the audit trail. Although the transactions are removed, the balances are carried forward as opening balances so that your financial reports are all still accurate. Read more

The audit trail

The Financials window

To generate an audit trail report

For more information